An Officer's Tirah Campaign and Western Front Battle of the Aisne casualty group to Second Lieutenant later Captain E.L.P. Edwards, 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, who having been educated at Harrow School, would be commissioned and see service on the North West Frontier during the Tirah campaign of 1897 before later serving on the Western Front from 8th September 1914 being killed in action on an attack on the enemy trenches at the Battle of the Aisne on 20th September 1914. Having no known grave he is remembered on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial.
Group of 3: India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 2 Clasps: Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98; (2nd Lieut. E.L.P. Edwards, 1st E. Yorks Regt.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (CAPT E.L.P. EDWARDS.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Along with a copy image of the recipient.
Eric Lea Priestley Edward was the eldest son of Lea Priestley Edwards, J.P., of Warberry Court, Torquay, formerly of Scarborough and of the West Yorkshire Yeomanry (Yorkshire Dragoons), was born on and March 1877 and educated at Harrow and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
His first Commission in the Regiment was dated 20th February 1897, when he was posted to the 1st Battalion, then at Belgaum, India. He was selected with other Officers for attachment to the Regiments on the North West Frontier Tirah Campaign 1897, his service including the operations in the Bara Valley 7th to 14th December 1897.
On the Battalion, leaving Belgaum, in 1900, Edwards acted as Adjutant of the wing, detached to Bellary, subsequently increased to five strong companies, when a detention camp for Boer prisoners of war was established at that station. He was promoted Captain 15th May 1903, and took over B Company with which Company he was associated practically throughout his service in the Battalion. After three years service in Burma, he returned home with the Battalion in 1906, and in July, 1907, took over the appointment of Adjutant and Volunteer Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, Headquarters at Beverley. This Battalion was, under the Haldane scheme, joined up with another, becoming the 5th Battalion, A.P.W.O. Yorkshire Regiment of the Territorial Army, with Headquarters at Scarborough. Upon Edwards and his Regimental Sergeant-Major (the late Captain J.W. McReynolds) fell the brunt of the work and reconstructing and organising, the new unit, which was widely scattered about the East and North Ridings and in agricultutal districts, where recruits were not easily obtained for the Territorials.
Returning to regimental duty in 1910, he rejoined the 1st Battalion at Salamanca Barracks, Aldershot, once more taking over B Company. Edwards afterwards served at York, with the Battalion, and on the rouble Company system being introduced became the first Commander of B. Company.
Throughout his service Edwards’ endeavour was to be thorough in every undertaking for which he was selected, whether as a Subaltern Officer, a Company Commander, or in charge of any Institute or Mess, Edwards never neglected any little detail. No better Mess president ever held office, and as a bachelor he was pretty frequently called on to occupy that post. His interest in all matters appertaining to the Regiment never failed. Perhaps this was the main reason why Edwards was invited in 1913 to undertake the work of bringing up to date the Regimental History published in 1885 by the late Major General W. Starke. The idea was to bring out a volume to put on sale at the Great Bazaar held at London in December 1913, in aid of the Regimental Agency and the various Regimental Associations. The book was of course compiled at short notice, and the author endeavoured in his preface to give all the credit for its production to other people whereas on his shoulders really felt the brunt of the work. This alone, showed the modesty of one who practically lived for his Regiment.
Edwards would see service on the Western Front from 8th September 1914 and would be killed in action on 20th September at the Battle of the Aisne whilst leading his company against the enemy’s trenches. He is remembered on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial to the missing,
The action is covered briefly in the Regimental History: ‘At about 12.30pm on 20th heavy firing was heard on the right flank and the East Yorkshires could see Germans advancing between the right of the 18th Brigade and the left of the Turcos. Under very heavy shell fire and great pressure, having lost all their officers, the French Colonial troops had temporarily retired, uncovering the flank of the 18th Brigade, which enabled the enemy to cut off the forward companies of the West Yorkshires. The Durham Light Infantry immediately counter-attacked and the East Yorkshires also advanced. As ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies, led personally by Colonel Benson (C and D companies remaining in support) went forward they were subjected to a cross machine-gun fire and shrapnel. The advance was held up and the troops were ordered to re-occupy their trenches.
Before the Battalion could retire, however, heavy casualties were suffered. Captain E.L.P. Edwards and Lieutenant B.S.C. Hutchinson were killed, Lieutenant Colonel R.E. Benson, Captain P.B. Maxwell, Captain D.F. Anderson and Lieutenants V.E. Inglefield and F.H. Sasse were wounded and 2nd Lieutenant A.W. Meller was missing: 73 other ranks were also killed and wounded. ‘The action ceased’ records the Battalion Diary about 4.30pm when we held our original line. Both sides continued shelling for the rest of the day. Thus the East Yorkshiremen had received their baptism of fire in the greatest war the world has ever known.’
Unfortunately the recipients 1914 Star is not present with the group.